KARACHI: A virtual consultative meeting of Pakistan Peoples Party’s senior leadership chaired by the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari here on Monday demanded that “selected” prime minister step down, admit his failure and tender an apology to the nation for multiple disasters he had allegedly brought upon the country.

The meeting condemned what it deemed stubborn attitude of Prime Minister Imran Khan at a moment of dangerous economic free-fall which was characterised by a tsunami of inflation, runaway debt, falling trade and collapsing power sector, which had caused all institutions to slowly grind to a halt, said a press release issued by the party’s media cell.

“With a trade deficit of more than 130 per cent, there is clearly a crisis in this sector too. Now, for every USD100 exports our imports are for USD230. Industries have shut down and unemployment has gone up incalculably across the country. Millions more have been dragged down to cross poverty line. Inflation has risen steeply with no roadmap for economic recovery in sight,” said the meeting.

The meeting also expressed concern over reports of rising economic distress suicides, which many blamed on economic policies of the “PTIMF” regime. “It is shameful that the federal government led by PTI puppets is, perhaps, the only government in the world, which has not imported the Covid-19 vaccine as the country is headed towards the worst ever third wave of the epidemic. The vaccine is a fundamental human right but there seems to be no respect for any social or public entitlements,” the meeting noted.

The meeting remarked that the “puppet” prime minister had adopted a shameful policy of sacrificing scapegoats to cover up grand thefts of sugar, wheat, petrol etc to save his own head, though he was responsible for the multiple crises of confidence the country was facing today.

“Imran Khan himself had approved import of sugar and cotton from India as commerce minister and then rejected the same as prime minister. It is the most shameful act on part of a prime minister,” said the meeting.

Bilawal added that the “puppet” regime had pushed the economy to the brink of collapse and bankruptcy. “This happens when you hand the country’s reins into the hands of inept and untutored people,” he said.

He said that every passing day under the PTI government was further dragging down the country both economically and politically. “The situation may reach such an alarming point where no damage control could potentially work,” he warned.

The meeting, attended by Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Farhatullah Babar, Nayyar Bukhari, Senator Sherry Rehman, Faisal Karim Kundi, Humayoon Khan, Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and Hassan Murtaza, also discussed other political issues.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2021